Bagansiapiapi

About travel in Indonesia and it's culture in Bali, Yogyakarta, Sulawesi, Celebes, Riau.

Where is Bagansiapi-api located?

Bagansiapi-api is the capital city of Rokan Hilir Regency, Riau Province. This was the part of Bengkalis Regency. Bagansiapi-api located at the Sumatera coastal area, exactly at the Rokan river estuary. Bagansiapi-api is a strategic site for it can be reached by land or sea.
The history of Rokan Hilir rooted from three “kenegerian” traditional administrative regions, which were Negeri Kubu, Bangko and Tanah Putih. Each Negeri was led by a Chief of Negeri responsible to the Sultan of Siak, once the ruling kingdom in the region.
When the Dutch occupied the region in1890, the first District was established in Putih. After the town of Bagansiapi-api, discovered by Chinese settlers, began to flourish, the Dutch removed their district Controller Office there in 1901. Bagansiapi-api grew in importance after, the Dutch built the modern and most furnished port in the town to challenge another established port in the straits of Malacca until the First World War ended. When Indonesia gained independence, Rokan Hilir merged into the Regency of Bengkalis in Riau Province.
The regions which used to be parts of the Bagansiapi-api District, consisting of Tanah Putih, Kubu & Bangko as well as Rimba Melintang and Bagan Sinembah, as of 4 October 1999 were declared by Government of the Republic of Indonesia as new autonomous Regency within Riau Province by virtue of the law no. 53 of 1999. The law stipulated the capital in Bagansiapi-api.
The Regency of Rokan Hilir occupies the total area of 8.881,59 km2 or 888.159 ha, situated at 1o14’ to 2o45’ North Latitude and 100o17’ to 101o21’ east Longitude. Rokan Hilir has territorial borders as follows:
• In the north with the straits of Malacca
• In the south with the Rokan Hulu and Bengkalis Regency
• In the west with the North Sumatera Province
• In the east with the Dumai Municipality
There are some rivers and islands within the Regency of Rokan Hilir. Rokan river is is the largest, flowing across the region from the upper course in Rokan Hulu area down to the estuaries in Rokan Hilir area as long as 350 km. As the largest river, Rokan River plays an important role as the transportation lane and the source of economy for the local population. Other rivers are Bangko River, Sinaboi River, Mesjid River, Siakap River, Ular River and other smaller creeks.
Most are in Rokan Hilir cop raises of lowland and swampland, mainly the region along the Rokan river course up to the estuaries. These regions have such a fertile soil & become the most productive and outstanding rice/paddy farming areas in Riau Province. The population rate in 2005 was recorded 454.253 persons.


The arriving of Chinese in Bagansiapi-api

It began from searching a better life; a group of Chinese from Fuji an Province (China) sailed across the sea with simple wooden boat. While they were went astray, they prayed to Kie Ong Ya god, hoping that their god would guide them to the nearby land. Soon, on a silent night, they saw a dim light. Where there was a light, there was a land, they thought. Finally, they changed their course toward the dim light, until they reached the land in the sea front of Malacca strait. There were 18 Chinese who landed on that land, they were:


1. Ang Nie Kie
2. Ang Nie Hiok
3. Ang Se Guan
4. Ang Se Pun
5. Ang Se Teng
6. Ang Se Shia


7. Ang Se Puan
8. Ang Se Tiau
9. Ang Se Po
10. Ang Se Nie Tjai
11. Ang Se Nie Tjua
12. Ang Un Guan


13. Ang Cie Tjua
14. Ang Bung Ping
15. Ang Un Siong
16. Ang Sie In
17. Ang Se Jian
18. Ang Tjie Tui


They were considered to be ancestors of Bagansiapi-api’s Chinese. On the next day, they found many fish on the river mouth (Rokan River Estuary), and then they caught the fish gladly as their every day meal. From that day, they began to live on the land. Soon afterward, they who thought have found a better place to live, invited their relatives from China. These Chinese immigrants made the Chinese population increased. Their fishing skill allowed them to exploit the wealth of the sea. They exported and sold their catch to the other nations and continents, this made Bagansiapi-api famous, and it renowned as the second largest fish producer in the world after Norway.
Trading in Malacca strait was thriving, this made Dutch colonial government thought that the strait could become the base for their naval force, which then they built sea port in Bagansiapi-api. It was considered to be the most advanced port in Malacca Strait on that time. The sea wealth was not the only resources in Bagansiapi-api, but, it was also the renowned rubber producer. During 1st World War and 2nd World War, Bagansiapi-api was renowned as one of the highest quality rubber producer, rubber was the raw material used to make tires for war machines. The Chinese processed the rubber in several rubber manufacturers. But, after the 2nd war world ended, rubber demand was decrease, this made the business decline. Most of the manufacturers were shut down. Now, people have forgotten this achievement, that Bagansiapi-api was a renowned rubber producer in Asia.
From the culture aspect, there is a hundred years old temple. The Chinese pray to Kie Ong Ya god in this temple & Kie Ong Ya is depicted in his actual size when their ancestors set foot in Bagansiapi-api. There are several versions of the word Bagansiapi-api originated. Some say the word derive from the mystically mysterious light as a gift from Kie Ong Ya god, when the Chinese ancestors begged for guidance. The other versions say: the bright light they saw while they were astray was the light of fireflies. Fireflies were found easily in Bagansiapi-api, now it is hard to find the fireflies. Yet, there is rarely spoken version, Bagan was an ancient fishing tool, and the word “api” (fire) itself was the name of a marsh tree which grew on the coastal area. The tree used to call: api-api. In Bagansiapi-api waters, there were many fishing tools put in the marsh where the trees grew, as the story goes.



Safety & Prosperity in “Barge Burning” ritual
Go Gwe Cap Lak

At Bagansiapi-api on 16th day of 5th month of the Chinese lunar year held the traditional Chinese Ceremony called Go Gwe Cap Lak which known as “Bakar Tongkang “ or ship burning. The ceremony is to respect Kie Ong Ya god and held with very wonderful ritual attraction & parade as “rumah gila or crazy house” and “debus or invulnerability”. Thousand peoples are coming from various countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong etc to attend this ceremony. One interesting section during this ceremony is when the ship’s mast broken down, the direction of its falling is shown which subject will have lucky in the next year. This event has been done since 1920. During this event it is not surprising that most of the hotel in the city has been fully booked by the Chinese people who arrive from all districts to attend this attraction.
Barge burning ritual symbolizes the sailing story of the Chinese ethnic who escaped themselves from the threat of the Siamese authority. Inside the ship (tongkang) led by Ang Mie Kui were the statues of Kie Ong Ya god and his commander named Taisun Ong Ya.
They had brought these statues from China land. They believed that those gods had guaranteed them with safety during their sailing to Bagansiapi-api. To show their gratefulness for the safety and prosperity they had received from the sea, as well as honoring the gods, this Chinese ethnic of Bagansiapi-api, then carries out the ritual of Barge Burning, which is conducted every year. The praying process is conducted on days 15, 16 of the 5th month of Chinese calendar.
Some sources say that this ritual of Barge Burning is actually carried out to commemorate the birthday of Sea god called Kie Ong Ya god. This ritual has some specific characteristics that can not be found in other parts of Indonesia.

The Praying Process ‘Barge Burning’ Ritual

The praying process is carried out in two phases. The first phase is conducted before the ship (called tongkang) is paraded to In Hok Kiong temple on day 15 of 5th month of Chinese calendar. The second phase is conducted after the ship is officially put in In Hok Kiong temple on day 16 of 5th month of Chinese calendar.
The first process of praying is carried out when time shows 12 am midnight on day 15 of Chinese calendar. The pilgrims will start their pray and burn their giant joss sticks. Then they will present the gifts consist of cakes, fruits, pork meat, fish or chicken, which are put on an altar. This ritual will take place until the afternoon when the time of taking the ship from the place it is made has come.
Around 4 pm, the ship is then paraded to In Hok Kiong temple. After the ship is officially put in front of In Hok King temple, all praying activities are then temporarily stopped to give the opportunity of Kie Ong Ya god to serve the other gods in enjoying the shingle prepared by the pilgrims. This process takes place until 12 am, when day 16 of Chinese calendar comes, and the ship is officially announced. This process is carried out by a spiritual expert/suhu that is called Tangki. After that, the temple will be opened again for the pilgrims to pray. It will last until the ship is burned.
All representatives from all temples in Bagansiapi-api will usually gather and get ready to parade the ship (tongkang). Each representatives wears their own specific uniform to differentiate them from the others representatives. Besides that, each group brings its own Tangki along with their attraction equipment similar to ‘debus’ action (traditional ritual in which the layers are in trance and invulnerable to sharp objects like knives or machetes). After all participants of tongkang parade gather in In Hok Kiong temple yard, the procession will soon move toward the arena used for burning followed by thousands of pilgrims behind it.
Arriving to the burning area, the burning position of the tongkang will then firstly determined according to the sign given by Kie Ong Ya who according to their philosophy, also gives the direction towards better prosperity and the better wellbeing and safety of Chinese ethnic in Bagansiapi-api. After the ‘tongkang’ is put in its place, gifts papers are then piled up on the ‘tongkang’ deck on fire. Within minutes, thousands of gifts papers turn in to a big flame of fire that burns all parts of the ship (tongkang) and turn it into ashes.